Coquette

Sephora Collection's Lashcraft Mascara: Get Long Lashes for Just $12

I'm always ready to try a new mascara. So when my friend @lepetitgraphiste posted about the new Sephora Collection Lashcraft Length & Volume Mascara ($12) on her Instagram, I knew I had to check it out.

My usual mascara is YSL Babydoll or NARS Audacious Mascara. These two so far are my holy grail of mascaras. I always find it painful shelling out $26-$32 each time I need a new mascara. Sephora's Lashcraft is only $12 so it was a no brainer to try it out.

I've been wearing Lashcraft Mascara for the entire week now and I really love the results. The brush on the wand is one that I've never seen before. It' isn't a lash comb all around, rather there are the usual lash comb on two sides of the want and two flat sides on the opposite. It reminds me of the roller in a vacuum cleaner. For me, I have long lashes that are stick straight so once I curl my lashes, I need a mascara to help elongate them. This mascara definitely does the trick! I first use the comb part of the want to make my lashes long and then go back with the flatter side of the wand and gently shake the wand back and forth from the roots to get more volume. It takes a couple more times of me doing this versus my YSL Babydoll mascara, but that's fine with me. I find the formula lasts all day, doesn't clump and I don't get any mascara fallout around my eyes at the end of the day. It's also easy to clean off with my TATCHA Camellia Cleansing Oil at the end of the day. I love this new Sephora Lashcraft Mascara as an affordable option for really long, pretty lashes!

Shop for the Sephora Collection Lashcraft Length & Volume Mascara at Sephora.com.

New Clinique SFP 50 Mineral Sunscreen Fluid for Face

I'm all about the facial sunscreen year round, not just for summer and Clinique has just launched the new Clinique SPF 50 Mineral Sunscreen Fluid for Face ($26). The formula is so lightweight that you don't even feel it. The sunscreen is broad spectrum SPF 50 at protects against aging UVA and sun's hot UVB rays. (Ingredients: Titanium Dioxide 6.3%, Zinc Oxide 4%) Just shake the bottle and squeeze onto the palms of your hand. I always make sure to get my entire face as well as my ears and neck area, especially in the summer when I'm not covered up so much and my hair's usually tied back. Sunscreen is my #1 anti-aging product and I love that Clinique has come out with a new line that is so good and perfect for my sensitive skin.

In addition to the SPF 50 facial sunscreen, there are two other mineral sunscreen products that just launched with Clinique. Choose the SPF 30 Mineral Sunscreen for Face ($26) when you don't need that much protection and use the Clinique SPF 30 Mineral Sunscreen Fluid for Body ($32) when you're out for a day in the sun.

Purchase the Clinique SPF 50 Mineral Sunscreen Fluid for Face at Clinique.com.

Review product provided by Clinique

Tatcha Luxury Skincare Products

(Photo: Tatcha Facebook)

Tatcha is a skincare line that is inspired by the ancient Japanese geisha skincare traditions. Founder Victoria Tsai is from the Bay Area. She traveled to Japan where a chance encounter in Kyoto with a modern-day geisha. Geishas are known for their beautiful, porcelain skin Victoria discovered a 200 year old beauty manuscript. Tatcha's core ingredients consist of the most precious green teas, Okinawa red algae, rice bran and more. The ingredients used are free of parabens, mineral oils, synthetic fragrances, sulfate detergents, urea, DEA, TEA or phthalates. All of their formulas are dermatologist tested, non-irritating and great for sensitive skin.

While away on a mini vacation at the Ritz Carlton Half Moon Bay during the 4th of July weekend, my husband treated me to a spa treatment. I decided I wanted a facial but I really wanted something new and different. I discovered the Tatcha Crystal Luminous Facial. This 90 minute treatment ($285) was an amazing experience. It was through this facial that I discovered how all of the Tatcha products work together and in the end, I could see how clear my skin looked and how soft it felt. If you're ever going to visit the Ritz in Half Moon Bay, I highly recommend this facial. It's luxurious and it's perfect for those with sensitive skin who are looking for a great facial massage.

At the Ritz spa, I purchased two items right away. The first was the One Step Camellia Cleansing Oil ($48 at Tatcha). I really wanted to use an oil based cleanser and I loved how gentle this one was. It will gently remove all your makeup, even waterproof eye makeup. It doesn't dry out my skin. To apply, I do two pumps into the palm of my hand and massage it onto my dry face. Once I have massaged and loosened up all the makeup, I rinse it. Once the cleanser touches water it emulsifies and clears away all the dirt and makeup of the day. For eye makeup, I gently rub around my eye area to loosen it all up and it all rinses off. (You can watch the video on the Tatcha site to learn how to apply.)

The next thing I purchased was the Camellia Nourishing Lip Balm ($36 at Tatcha). It is a very hydrating lip balm. I love using it as a gloss. I never have that dry, flaky lip feeling when I use it. There is a hand-laid 24K gold leaf to help your lips shimmer. I did what the Ritz spa did and used a small spatula from one of my facial creams to mix up the balm so that the gold leaf was broken up and mixed throughout. This way, I'll always have the gold leaf in every application, instead of just in the beginning.

TATCHA Dewy Skin Mist Travel Size ($15 at Tatcha)
Last fall, I was introduced to Tatcha with my #RANBonusBox that featured this Dewy Skin Mist spray. I love spritzing it on my face to keep my skin hydrated.

The next products on my wish list is the TATCHA Classic Rice Enzyme Powder ($65 at Tatcha). It's a creamy water-activated enzyme powder exfoliant with Rice Bran, papaya enzymes and their anti-aging HADASEI-3™. They have a three different versions for dry skin, normal/combination skin and oily skin. I also want the luxurious Camellia Beauty Oil ($95 at Tatcha). It really moisturizes your skin and I love the 24K gold flakes that gives your skin a glow.

You can purchase Tatcha beauty on their website or also at Sephora. I love their web site because you can purchase travel sized versions of their skincare to try or to bring on your vacations. You also get to choose up to 3 free Tatcha samples. Love it!

Right now they are having a summer gift set specials. Spend over $150 and receive a lip balm + 1 travel sized item and a pretty Tatcha pouch or spend over $250 and get the pouch, lip balm and 3 travel sized items.

Shop Tatcha Beauty now at Tatcha.com.

June Favorites: Dior, SK-II, La Mer + More

Hi Lovlies!

I hope everyone has been having a great week. I had a busy month of June with Chloe finishing 2nd grade and the onset of summer fun. I had a really good skincare month and have been really loving the addition of La Mer's iconic moisturizing cream and SK-II's Facial Treatment Essence into my daily skincare routine.

1. Clarins 3-Dot Liner Eyeliner ($27 at Nordstrom)

I forget just how good this eyeliner is until I find myself recently going back to it. The three-prong applicator really helps you fill in the space between your lashes and I find it much easier to apply by "connecting the dots" than other liquid eyeliner brush pens. I have it in brown and black but it looks like only black is available. You can line it really thin or thick, depending on how you like it.

2. Dior Addict Lip Maximizer High Volume Lip Plumper ($33 at Sephora)

I'm kinda obsessed with this new Dior Addict gloss that helps plump up your lips with collagen. I have it in Beige Sunrise but there is also a sheer pink tint too. It's the perfect top coat when I want to just do a simple neutral lip or add shine to my existing lipstick. I do notice that my lips look fuller but I love the long lasting shine that goes with it. It's also not sticky feeling either.

3. SK-II Pitera Essence Set ($99 at Nordstrom)

I was using the SK-II Facial Treatment Essence for around 3-4 years. When I finished my last bottle in December, I decided to hold off due to how expensive it was. Needless to say, I missed it. I feel like it really sinks into my skin and helps soften my skin. I also used it on the tops of my hands as well. I decided to go with the smaller bottle and the SA at the counter recommended this kit to me since I would be getting the same bottle but with an additional face mask and small toner bottle. This entire set is worth $130 so it's a deal for just $99 which is the price for the individual 2.5 oz bottle of the Facial Treatment Essence. I actually really love this size as it's a perfect travel size for vacation.

4. Creme de la Mer Moisturizing Cream ($85-$465 at Nordstrom)

I've officially fallen in love with La Mer. I think I tried it over 12 years ago with a sample but the creme now doesn't have a strong algae scent. I absolutely love how my skin feels now and my dry patches have not come back at all. My forehead is staying soft and smooth. I use this only at night because of the richness. If you have dry skin, I highly recommend you go to the La Mer counter near you to try it.

5. Eligible: A Modern Retelling of Pride and Prejudice by Curtis Sittenfield ($15.60 on Amazon)

If you are a Jane Austin and/or a Pride and Prejudice fan, you must read this book! This is the fourth book in a series of modern authors retelling Austin's classic novels. (You don't need to go in order btw.) Pride and Prejudice is a very personal book for me because it's one that I have read and re-read since senior year in high school. What I recommend is that you relinquish your previous notions of the novel set in England in the 1800's. Just let go and enjoy the modernized world of the story set in Cincinnati, Ohio, New York and Silicon Valley. Being from the Bay Area, I love that Darcy's Pemberton estate is in Atherton, CA with the latter part of the book mostly taking place in Silicon Valley. It took me some time to get through the book at first, to stop comparing it constantly to Austin's novel. Once I finally let go, I found myself really immersed into the book, and I found myself laughing out loud to a lot of the funny situations in the book. Author Curtis Sittenfeld adds just as much humor and delight as Austin brought to it in her own time. Lizzie and Jane are modern single women in their late 30's and the tales of hookups, fertility issues and reality TV are themes that work perfectly for life today. Mrs. Bennet is equally as annoying and insane as she was in Austin's novel. This was the first book I read from author Sittenfeld who previously wrote the book Prep, the one thing I found annoying with the book was how short the chapters were. Each chapter was usually only 2-3 pages. I wish they were longer, so I didn't have to mentally stop when I found myself turning the page to start a new chapter. Because of this, I give this book 4 stars instead of 5. (Find me on Goodreads)

Drybar's Lemon Drop Detangler Brush Makes Brushing Long Hair a Breeze

We recently spent the long 4th of July weekend in Half Moon Bay. On the trip, I realized that my hair brush was on it's last legs with broken bristles. It was not looking pretty. A few days ago, I happened to be in a department store and noticed a large display of Drybar items and their Drybar Lemon Drop Daily Detangler Brush ($16 at Nordstrom) was right in my line of sight. I picked the box up and noticed how light it felt. I have the hair dryer which I am so in love with so I figured why not take the plunge with this brush.

My long hair always gets tangly and I noticed after brushing it when I shower, a lot of my hair was breaking off or falling out. This brush easily takes out tangles without pain and works with wet or dry hair. I also noticed that less hair was breaking off onto the brush or the bathroom floor. I loved using this brush so much that I went back to the department store the next day to purchase the portable Drybar Lil Lemon Drop Travel Detangler Brush ($10 at Nordstrom) so I could have a smaller version for my handbag. Both versions of the hair brush are super lightweigt. You'll notice the difference once you start to use it. I also think dropping $10-16 on this hairbrush was totally worth it. It's not Mason Pearson expensive, but it works light years better than any hairbrush I've purchased at Target.

Pick up the Drybar Lemon Drop Daily Detangler Brush at Nordstrom.com (Free Shipping).

La Mer The Perfecting Treatment: Get a Smooth Finish and Soft Glow to Your Skin

Get your skin looking picture perfect this summer with La Mer's new The Perfecting Treatment ($240 at Nordstrom). The gel-like texture feels soft and light on the skin. It will give you a beautiful, smooth glow depending on how you apply it.

Here are the different ways you can apply:

A Perfect Beginning: Apply before moisturizing to have a luminous and glowing look

Fresh Faced: Apply after your moisturizer for a velvety soft-focus finish

The Perfect Canvas: Smooth on before foundation and makeup application for a perfect primer

Radiant Skin: At night, apply after your moisturizer or mask to awaken glowing skin

You can mix it with your SPF for a really easy makeup-free summer look. I love how this balm just gives a soft finish to your skin and works with all skin tones. I also see the difference of wearing it as a primer under my foundation. My skin just looks even more flawless. The Perfecting Treatment includes the La Mer Miracle Broth as well as Porcelain Algae and deep sea Rose Algae to even skin tone and reduce the look of dark spots. It also contains ingredients to help perfect tone, texture and translucency. La Mer's new The Perfecting Treatment is really amazing and I've never felt anything like it. Did I mention how soft and buttery it feels?! My skin has a wonderful glow each day thanks to this fabulous product. Take a visit to your nearest La Mer counter to try it out.

Buy the La Mer The Perfecting Treatment at Nordstrom.

Review product provided by La Mer